Man who accidentally shot self inside St. Paul school pleads guilty to weapons charge

A man accused of accidentally shooting himself at a St. Paul elementary school earlier this year has pleaded guilty to a weapons charge.

Court records show Lamont Jaytaris Gray, 31, of St. Paul, entered a guilty plea to one gross misdemeanor count of recklessly handling or using a dangerous weapon. If the plea is accepted, a lesser weapons charge would be dismissed.

As previously reported, Gray was at his daughter’s open house at Como Park Elementary School the evening of Jan. 18 when a loaded pistol allegedly went off, hitting him in the leg. He told police the accidental discharge happened when when he tightened his belt while playing basketball.

Witnesses told police that 40 to 50 people were in the gym at the time, the majority of whom were children. No one else was injured.

In a petition to enter a guilty plea filed on Tuesday, Gray — who had a permit to carry at the time of the incident — wrote, “My action was reckless and endangered the safety of others.”

Gray would serve two years of probation under the proposed plea deal.